Breadcrumbs
by Blazingfyres
Summary: The legacy of the Sweets Princes has come in the form of Kashino Haruto, a prodigy who's way out of league for the likes of B Group captain Inoue Mari. But when their paths cross and they pull each other through the years of high school in St. Marie Academy, Mari finds that they aren't as far apart in heart or ability as she once thought. 2nd Gen AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey. So here's a pretty little 2nd Gen for you all to read.**

 **A fun note - so initially the main character's name was supposed to be Inoue Aiko, but when I found out Aiko was already used in another story in this fandom, I changed it. Hehe. Whoops.**

 **Hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave a review. Thanks!**

 **~Blaze**

* * *

"You know, sometimes I really wonder if I want to be a patissiere. But then I eat these freaking amazing cakes by the A Group, and then I remember why I chose this school again."

I watch in distaste as Shiomi Tomone takes a rather large bite of the chocolate ganache cake in front of her, licking her lips as crumbs stick to the edges of her mouth. "Oh, man," she moans. "It's good to be alive."

"You're a pig," I say, taking a perfectly normal bite of my own cake, memorizing the smoothness, the texture. Today's assignment was to make a chocolate pastry, and as always, A Group has completely outdone us all. "I mean, the cake is truly wonderful, but you're eating like a monster."

"You just don't know how to appreciate delicacy when it's in front of you, Mari-chan," Tomone says, waving her fork in my direction. I snort. She could at least learn to be delicate herself. "If the A Group started their own patissieres right now, these sorts of things would cost more than my average salary when I grow up."

"Well, they are the best of the best," I reply, peeking a glance at the Baking Trio in the back. "What we're eating is made from the hands of Gods themselves."

"Well, we aren't too far behind, right?" Tsuga Junichi says hopefully, scratching his head with a smile. "I mean we are in B Group, which is only one level down. We're still pretty amazing to have made it this far."

"But that's all we are," Tomone snaps back. "Second place, through and through. And you see how freaking ahead those guys are. There's no way we're catching up to their level, Tsuga-kun."

"I do appreciate the positivity though, Jun-kun," I add quickly, and he nods gratefully at me, giving Tomone a hard glare.

To be honest, though, Tomone's right. Even though we're in the second highest group in our grade, we're way behind compared to the abilities of the A Group. Sure, I can impress my friends and family with my baking skills, but… my cakes may as well go in the trash bin if they were to be compared with those freaks of natures' creations. When it comes to culinary arts, these prodigies are the types of kids that France begs for in their universities. Trust me. I've worked with these guys all through middle school. I would know.

Aaah, pessimism. A great way to start the first term of high school, right?

But, I mean, look at them: First we see Hinata Shohei, laughing and winking as he talks to the others. He's got the reputation of being the refreshing idiot; he's sinfully attractive with these bright brown eyes and his loose blue hair, his square glasses making his sharp features cute and soft, but despite his nerdy aesthetic and his above average grades, he's got the least common sense out of all of us. He's a natural. He started baking with his two, and got national recognition for his baking in a competition when he was ten. His specialty is fillings and sauces and different sorts of icing, with gives him the ability to embellish anything into something more amazing than it was before.

Then there's Hinata Inari, Shohei's cousin and probably the most beautiful Barbie doll I have ever seen in my life. Round, almond shaped indigo eyes, luscious, long brown hair that never gets mixed up in her cooking. She's one of those people that you'd fall in love with no matter your gender or sexuality. She has an eccentric personality, but a strong head and heart that none can break. She won first prize in a children's exhibition for baking, which is what got her scouted for St. Marie. She's gifted in breads and is fully knowledgeable when it comes to spices. She's just… amazing.

And then… I hear Tomone swoon, and I roll my eyes, facing St. Marie's Number One Heartthrob's direction.

Kashino Haruto. Oh, man. I don't think I've heard of a person more popular than Kashino in the entirety of St. Marie Academy. I bet you a thousand yen that if you were to walk through the hallways of the school during lunchtime or class changes, you'll hear his name uttered in the snippets of conversations you catch at least once a day. And if you were to be graced by his presence, I'll bet you a thousand more you'll become one of his massive army of devotees by nightfall. It's almost unreal, how many people follow him wherever he goes, how many try to butt in a conversation, how many try to be his friend. Even I'm guilty of this; though, I guess I haven't been very successful. Sharp brown eyes, chopped, shaggy blonde hair. He's attractive. He's kind. Not only is he the strongest, most hard working, and most talented student in the A Group, but he doesn't boast about it, either. It's no wonder he's treated like a God. Even the people that are jealous of him can't seem to truly hate him. And considering his family… Kashino Makoto, the well known chocolatier, along with his ridiculously talented wife, Amano Ichigo? They're the power couple of St. Marie, the one the japanese branch loves to brag about. It's no wonder that their son gained all of their talent.

...Yeah. Now, compare that to me. Awkward, disorganized Mari Inoue, with stocky limbs and the body of a twelve year old boy, who has a friend group of a size that makes up 0.02% of Haruto's ever growing one. My bright magenta curls clash with my blue-green eyes, and it's a wonder I can force my hair into little ponytails at all. I've been in B Group since seventh grade, barely making it out of the cut for C. There are people who don't even know that I exist. And don't even start with my messed up family. Geez. The only thing I share with Haruto is the fact that we're both in tenth grade. And even that's stretching it, because considering his skill level, he should be employed by now.

"I'd kill to be that guy," Tomone sighs dreamily, nodding at Kashino. "Or to marry him. Or even Hinata-san or Hinata-kun. Polygamy actually sounds tempting for once."

"Me too," Jun says, turning to his own creation - it's a sandwich of crepes coated in rich, tempered milk chocolate, with dark chocolate shavings and strawberries on top. I have to admit, it's a pastry I'd definitely eat for breakfast any day. Jun's really talented when it comes to tempering, that's for sure. "But you know what? I'm happy with what I'm doing right now. I may never be as good as them, but I'd rather work on my own skills than obsess over being someone I'm not."

I smile at that. Honest, modest, and overall sweet sweet Jun. I really do admire his sense of self. He's the only one out of all of us who is comfortable with where he is. He picks his own pace and follows it through to the end. He's definitely role model material.

"Easy for you to say," Tomone pouts, crossing her arms with a huff. "Kashino-kun's your roommate."

That makes Jun and me laugh, and soon even Tomone allows a smirk to cross her features. Se may be a little stubborn and egoistic, but she is nice compared to a lot of people. The rest of the B Group - there are six of us in total - completely ignores us, choosing instead to complain about Group C's and D's creations instead of caring about anything else. Tomone was like that at first, but after being my roommate throughout middle school, she really warmed up to us over time.

Jun is kind of right too, I guess. Maybe being in B Group isn't all that bad after all. I mean, I am ranked as the team leader for our group. I look at the cheesecake I created, inspecting the white chocolate roses and the evenly spread chocolate on top, the roses surrounded by marshmallows, peanut butter chocolates, and caramel drizzles. It actually looked… nice. And I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

The scent and flavor of the ganache cake I had tried earlier suddenly floods my tastebuds.

Oh, who am I kidding. I'd kill to be one of the Baking Trio!

"Hey," Tomone says suddenly, sobering up from her giggles. "Look. Kashino-san's looking in our direction."

Jun gets a look before. "Yeah… you're right. Wait a second… is he looking at…"

When I turn around, finally facing Kashino, I catch his pretty brown eyes... staring straight at mine.

My stomach lodges somewhere in my throat.

"He's looking at you, Mari-chan," Tomone says slowly, carefully, quietly. I try to swallow, but I can't. He's still staring.

"Don't just stand there like a dead fish," Jun hisses. "Do something. You look like a slab of wood."

So I raise my hand, pull my face into a smile, and wave.

He blinks a couple times, a look of surprise washing over his face. He then grins broadly and waves back, gives me a wink, and then turns back to Shohei, beginning a conversation.

Meanwhile, I have been completely floored.

"Holy mother of God," I say quietly, "I think I've just been blessed by an angel."

"He winked at you," Tomone whisper-squeals, grabbing my hand and shaking it excitedly. "That's, like, basically a profession of his undying love!"

That snaps me out of my stupor. "Yeah, right," I say, rolling my eyes. "Kashino? Confessing to me? I am a mere mortal. God-blood and human-blood don't mix. Period."

"Besides," Jun says with a shrug, "Kashino probably just zoned out in your direction. You saw his face. I don't think there was much there."

"Way to kill the mood," Tomone whines, sticking her tongue out at him. "Don't listen to him," she then purrs in my ear. "I'm sure it was more meaningful than you think.

I let it go for the rest of the day, even when Tomone teases me about it when we get ready for bed. But it wasn't long after that I realized that she was absolutely right.

How?

Well.

Because it's the next day, 12:01 AM exactly, and Mr. Big Shot Baker Kashino Haruto has been staring at me since first period, rendering me completely incapable of focusing on my schoolwork.

Oh, _God_.

I'm currently in french class (fifth period. He's been staring at me for FIVE SOLID PERIODS GAAAAAHAHAAAA) with every intention of doing the practice sentences sensei has asked us to translate, but I'm shaking so hard and my palms are so sweaty and I can't keep my conjugations straight _will you stop staring at me Kashino Haruto sir._

"I think you're making her nervous." I glance over my shoulder to see Shohei loudly whispering in his best friend's ear. "You don't have to gaze at her so… intensely."

"What? Oh," Haruto breathes back. Clearly, these two don't understand the point of whispering. They're sitting a row behind me! Do they actually think I can't hear them?! "Was I really being that obvious?"

"Yeah. I know how badly you want to ask her, but you'll scare her off if you keep this up."

Ask me? Ask me what? Dread piles into my stomach, and I grip my pencil harder, squeezing sweat between my my fingers. Is he going to ask me out? No way; I'm literal trash compared to him. Blackmail? But what could he possibly want for me? I pitch forward and slam my head against my desk, rattling the entire thing and earning myself a couple of curious stares. (How are they all so oblivious to the entire situation!?) WHAT DOES HE WANT FROM ME?!

Okay, Mari. Get yourself together. I lift my head slightly, deciding to distract myself with schoolwork. I stare at the first sentence on the worksheet. _I have worked,_ it reads. _Traduire la phrase suivante._ Translate to french? Easy. My hand shakes as I drag my pencil onto the paper, attempting to form letters. _J'ai travaillé._ I got this. I have worked. _J'ai travaillé. J'ai travaillé. J'ai travaillé._

"Hey, Inoue-san?"

Apparently, just as I had started on the first question, sensei had dismissed the class, and Kashino had approached me from behind, ultimately spooking me senseless, and I panicked, and then -

" _J'ai travaillé!_ "

\- and then that happened.

There was a momentary silence as people gave me pity looks and light snickers danced around the room. I took that time to collect myself and clear my throat, repressing my embarrassment and meeting his eyes. Oh, man, I am a piece of garbage.

"Sorry. You, uh, startled me. _What you do from need me_? Uh, I mean, what do you need from me?" I scratched the back of my head, mentally smacking myself. Smooth, Mari. Very smooth.

Haruto's lips quirked up, obviously amused. "I guess Shohei was right, then. Sorry for freaking you out all day with my weird staring," he says sheepishly. I feel some of my tension loosen as a smile makes its way onto his face. At least he understands my discomfort. "Anyway, listen… I have to ask you something."

"Sure, anything," I said as a little voice in my head creepily echoed, "anything?"

He's twiddling his fingers now, not meeting my gaze. I distinctly see a ton of girls leaning closer, their suspicious glances in our direction, and with all my heart I hoped please don't ask me out please don't ask me out please don't -

"Can you tutor me?"

…

 _What?_

"What?" I asked, totally lost.

"I was wondering... if you could tutor me," he says a little slower, cautiously meeting my gaze.

"M-m-me?" I sputter. Oh my God. "W-w-why me? I mean, I don't know, I guess I'm maybe not the best person to ask. I'm sure there are other teachers or people that are more - uh - qualified for the task - "

He gives me a _"are you kidding me"_ sort of glare which shrivels my voice like a dried up apricot and leaves my sentence hanging.

"People that are more qualified?" he repeats incredulously. "Inoue-san, you're literally the top of our class."

Oh.

Right.

I'm 1st in our class. Highest grades and all that. My final report card from last year pops back into my head - almost perfect.

Hehe. Forgot about that.

"Sorry," I say after a pause. I decide to stand up, taking all of my books off of my desk and beginning to pile them into by book bag. "You just… surprised me. It's not everyday I get approached," by a God, no less, I wanted to say, but I didn't, "and for tutoring of all things… and besides; I've never really done something like this before."

"Would you mind trying, though? For my sake?" Haruto asks. "I'm barely passing my semesters. I may be alright in culinary arts - " alright? ALRIGHT? " - but that's the only class that's keeping me from getting kicked out of St. Marie. I'm failing french. And math. My dad is after my throat for it. And I know you're amazing at both."

I look up at his pleading gaze. My respect for this guy went up, like, twenty percent. He isn't afraid of admitting his failures at all! Wow.

I consider my position as well. True, I do have the top grades, but that's because I spend so much time reading and studying hard. Will tutoring him come in the way of that? Well… then again, I guess keeping up with the material won't be so hard. And teaching him will most likely be a review.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes. I'll do it."

His face lights up like fireworks, blowing me away with the most beautiful smile I've ever seen on any boy in my entire life. My heartbeat freezes in shock. "So it's a deal? Let's shake on it."

He takes my hand in his and we exchange a firm shake - well, firm on his side. I just sort of flop my elbow like a fish. He lets go just as fast as he grabbed me, though, and I'm left with a tingling feeling on my fingertips.

"Thanks, Inoue-san. You mind meeting in the library around 7? We can plan out a schedule then."

"S-sure," I say. "I, uh, oh crap!" I missed the bell ringing, too busy talking to him! I'm going to be late! I stumble out of my chair in an ungraceful manner, throwing the strap of my bag over my shoulder. "I've gotta get to class, like, right now, so I'll - I'll just?"

"Inoue-san?"

"Yes?" I turn, barely keeping a grip on my bag and my things.

"It's lunch period."

 _Oh._

"Oh." I laugh sheepishly. "Oh gosh. You're right. Man, I'm such a spaz."

"You're so…" Haruto snickers at my expense, and I blush, completely embarrassed. "Never mind. I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah," I say. "See ya."

As soon as he leaves the room flanked with a mass of people, I sit down and sigh, pulling out my bento box. I see Tomone rushing towards me with her own lunch box, Jun very close behind.

"Oh, man," I groan, shoving a forkful of potatoes into my mouth. "What the heck have I gotten myself into?"

Truly? Honestly? I wouldn't know the half of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hellooooo I'm just gonna get on with this. There's some math concepts that you may not understand, but it isn't important. So don't worry about it.**

 **By the way, Mari isn't just some OC. She's second gen, too. He he.**

 **Review or follow or whichever.**

 **~Blaze**

* * *

"Awwwww… I'm so sorry, Mari," Tomone sighs, giving me a pitiful stare. "I thought you were finally get some form of recognition. You know, win a spot for us underdogs?"

"Right," I say, rolling my eyes. "Because Kashino's recognition is all I need in this life."

"Well, it's a good start," Tomone says logically, raising a finger and looking thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "I mean, consider the possibilities. Dating Kashino is like… getting a couple legs up in the system. And if you were to break it off, you'd be even more popular. Just think of it!"

"I don't want to be popular. I just want to live my life."

"Well, at least you get to tutor him," Jun jokes, nudging my shoulder.

"Can we talk about something else?" I ask, slightly annoyed. I get back to my workbench and set an empty bowl on top. "Look, we gotta get these cookies done, or else Sensei's gonna make us work longer."

Thankfully, the others shut up at the reminder, and we go back to shuffling around with our ingredients.

It's finally Friday around noon. And of course, the A and B groups at the high school have to stay after class for an extra hour to prepare something for the French supervisors. The higher ups from the St. Marie branch in France have decided to show up, and our teacher thought it was appropriate to have us bake for them. I sigh, grabbing a carton of milk from the back fridge. Somehow, I'm not feeling so great about being questioned by everyone about the whole tutoring situation. Everyone wants to hear something juicy, so they've been asking me all sorts of embarrassing things and making up rumors that circle back around. Whether it was during lunch, in between classes, or random crumpled notes thrown in my direction during french, I was bombarded by… by people. Not just Jun or Tomone… everyone in St. Marie had made their assumptions. And I just spent the whole day tackling all of them.

A part of me is wondering if I'll ever get used to the attention. No doubt there will be people unhappy that I'm taking out at least a couple hours of the week with Haruto for myself, even though that wasn't even my intention. I was only in it because he asked for it.

As I start whisking the wet ingredients with the dry, I look up to see Haruto bending over his own work with rapt attention. It's hard to imagine a guy with that much focus could struggle in class. Then again, he did sit behind me, so I never could catch a glimpse of his work ethic in french or math.

Shohei had walked with me to the kitchens earlier. When I asked him about it, he snickered.

"Haruto sleeps through class all the time. He only gets real when he's in the kitchens. Maybe it runs in the family? His mom sucked at school, too. She told me once."

He fist bumped my shoulder after that, and I had half a mind to never wash my apron again.

I guess Haruto feels my eyes on him, because he looks up and meets my gaze. I blanch, suddenly yanked out of my trance. He gives me an amused smirk.

If this boy keeps giving me looks like that I swear I'll fall for it one day. Goddamn.

"So what are you helping him with, anyway?" Tomone asks, kneading dough under her fingers. "Math, or what?"

"Yeah, that and French," I respond, tearing my eyes away. "He's apparently barely passing and his dad's pissed."

"Honestly, Kashino Makoto always looks pissed," Jun says with a smile. "I remember seeing once in the beginning of the semester. He has a scowl on his face no matter who he talks to."

"Really? That's odd. I'd say Haruto's the exact opposite of that," Tomone says, thoughtful.

"Probably gets it from his mom, then," I say, thinking of the bubbly Kashino Ichigo I've seen in interviews. Though, Haruto does have a snarky side to him. Maybe he's got a combination of both sides? Huh.

It's not long until the hour hits three in the afternoon. Sensei calls it a day. We start to clean up. While I'm putting the last of our table's bowls away, Haruto joins me near the cupboards.

"Hi, Kashino-kun," I say, trying to sound casual. He raises his eyebrows. Clearly, he can tell I'm uncomfortable. He doesn't make any comment on it, though.

"You up for meeting at the library tonight? Around six o'clock?" He asks, looking hopeful.

I can't help but smile, raising a thumb. "Sure," I say. "I'll be there."

"Is there anything I can do for you, though?" Haruto pauses, raising a hand. "I mean, I owe you a lot for helping me out, so I think it's only fair if I pay you back somehow."

I look at him, considering. As much as I'd like to say I wouldn't mind doing it for free, he is taking some time out of my day. Not that I want money, or anything. I get enough of a pity allowance from my mom, since she hasn't taken the time to see me since… I blink a couple times. Wow. It's been five months since I've last talked to my mom. Ever since last summer, when she bailed on a vacation for her company's dumb exhibition or whatever -

" - still with me? Inoue-san," I hear Haruto say, waving his hand in front of my face. I snap back into reality, taking a step back. "Uhhh, sorry. Um, I was thinking," I say slowly, trying to make an excuse, "but I can't come up with anything. For now, just consider it as a "IOU" sort of situation."

"Okay," Haruto says. "Yeah. That seems fair."

"Six o'clock," I repeat, heading back to my table.

And of course, Haruto picks the worst wording ever, making a couple demon eyes swivel in our direction.

"It's a date!"

* * *

"Okay. The derivative of any given function is generally...?"

"The slope of a given point on a curve."

"So… if the function is y=x-2, the slope of the function, and ultimately, the derivative, is…?"

"Uhh… is it just y'=1?"

"Exactly!" I shout, raising my hands up to my chest in fists. "I think you finally understood it! Now, I'm sure you still haven't wrapped your head around it, and this is a simpler problem, but if you're having trouble, just let me know."

"Okay," Haruto says. His eyebrows are furrowed, but a small smile is lifting his lips. "Right. I think… I think I can do this."

"It's a hard concept, I know. We'll be addressing the product and quotient rules - shortcuts to figuring out derivatives," I clarify, seeing the blank look on Haruto's face, "so it will get much simpler from there. I'll help you unravel it in case you have trouble later so that it's easier to understand."

"Thanks, Inoue." Haruto looks up at me with a smile. "You're really saving my butt here."

I swallow. "I just read a lot. I'm not that impressive. But I'm glad it's helping."

It's been two weeks since we started the tutoring sessions, and Haruto and I have made some good progress. We've been in the library for about an hour now, cracking the whip on the basic concepts we need to know for our next math exam. It took a long time to drill it into his head. Haruto is smarter than he sells himself out to be, and it doesn't require a lot from me to make him understand, but he isn't patient. He's constantly jumping in his seat with a scowl so big it hurts to look at. I was sure he was going to punch me in the face a some point; he didn't look like he was enjoying himself.

Maybe that's why he struggles in class? His attention span is basically nonexistent when it comes to dry subjects like calculus or grammar.

"We can call it a day," I say, pulling a thermos and a box of cookies out of my bag. "Want one?" I ask, handing one over the table. "It's called a snickerdoodle."

He takes it carefully with the napkin I already wrapped it in, stares for a second, then takes a rather large bite. I sip my hot tea, waiting for his judgement.

"Mmmm! This is really good! It melts straight in my mouth!" He looks at it, then looks at me. "You made this?"

"Yep!" I smile, taking a bite myself. Well, what do you know. My cookie is pretty decent. I did spend a lot of time on them, after all. "They're pretty simple to make. My cousin from America introduced it to me, and so I got into the habit of making them when I have time during class."

"They're so… they're so…" he looks at my bag. "You wouldn't mind me asking for another one, would you?"

"Be my guest," I say, setting the box onto the table.

As I watch him eat, I sit back and drink more of my tea. This is actually… nice. I've been tutoring Haruto for about two days a week for the past three weeks, going over simple math and french concepts that he's been struggling with. And his company has been… pretty cool. He's incredibly kind and and bubbly, his personality much like a crazed puppy, but he also carries himself rather tall and with pride. There were times when he snapped out with snarky comments, catching me off guard.

It was hard at first; I was very withdrawn, feeling unworthy in his rather godly presence. But now I guess I looked at him like a loyal peasant friend; not worthy in status, but grateful for receiving such a gift like friendship from an immortal.

God, I really am self-deprecating.

"Hey, Inoue?" he asks, snapping me out of my thoughts. It surprises me that he's stopped using an honorific with my name, but somehow, it doesn't bother me.

I swallow the last of my tea. "Yeah?"

He leans in, lacing his fingers together and balancing his elbows on the table. "Have you thought of a way for me to pay you back yet?"

I blink. Oh, crap. I completely forgot about that. "Umm, no," I admit. Best if I'm honest, I guess. "I haven't given it much thought. Why? Have you thought of something, or…"

His eyes tell me yes, he has. "What's your offer, then?" I ask, interested.

"Well, since you're helping me increase my rank in school…" He trails off - most likely for dramatic effect, that jerk, "how about I help you move up a rank in our patissiere groups?"

I do a double-take. Okay, I was not expecting that. "Wh-wh-what? No, I can't - sorry, are you serious?" I don't know what the expression on my face is, but it seems that Haruto's amused by it. Damn him.

"I mean, yeah," he says, half laughing under his breath. "I think it's only right, you know? You aren't bad at making sweets," taking a chance to chew on another snickerdoodle, "but to make it to A Group, you gotta not just make them. You gotta know the ins and outs of every single ingredient. That's what helps you make something good into something great. Like, these cookies taste amazing, but I know you probably used really soft butter to make them because they aren't holding together too well. See?" He takes the one he's holding and splits it too easily. "It's one thing to know what goes in, but it's another to understand the how, or why."

I sit there with my jaw dropped, stunned beyond comprehension. Haruto waits patiently for me to begin functioning again, wiping a napkin across his mouth.

"You… you really think I can make it that far?" I ask weakly, staring at him. "I mean, I'm not exactly talent. I-I just read, and reading doesn't really mean you can do it."

He raises an eyebrow, as though its obvious. "You work hard to get your grades. You're helping me pass my making me practice. So that's all you need. Practice."

The word practice echos in my head fifty times. "But when?" I say, feel lightheaded. "We have classes all day, and we aren't allowed to use the kitchens on the weekends."

That's when the evil glint in Haruto's eye glows for the first time in my presence. I stare, bewildered, as he leans in. "Meet me at the statue of the fairy queen after 11. And bring your apron."

"But that's after curfew, and - "

"Just trust me," Haruto says, standing. He starts packing up his stuff. "You better show up, or else you're gonna leave me out there by myself."

"O-okay," I say, grabbing my own stuff. I reach for the box of cookies that I had, and then I stop.

"Kashino."

"Yeah?"

"I had made, like, ten of these."

"So?"  
 _  
_ _"_ _You ate all of them?!"_

He smiles sheepishly. "Hey. They were pretty nice."

I shake my head. I'd planned on saving a couple for Tomone, but whatever. "Alright. Fine. Eleven o'clock, then."

"Great. So it's a - "

In one swift movement I whirl the empty box at his face. Haruto yelps, shielding his face as it bounces off of his forehead and clatters back onto the table.

"Do not," I grumble, shutting him up, "call it a date."


End file.
